Mounting for watches



111]? 22, 1952 H. CANE" ETAL 2,603,942

uouu'rmc FOR WATCHES Filed April 20, 1950 IN ENTORS ATTORNEY,

Patented July 22, 1952 MOUNTING FOR WATCHES Howard Cane and Daniel M.Knowles, New York, N. Y.

Application April 20, 1950, Serial No. 157,052

1 This invention relates to mountings for watches and more particularlyto an ornamental holder in which a watch may be mounted so as to besecurely retained therein. I

7 According to the present invention, a mounting for a Watch is providedwhich may be a natural semi-precious or precious stone or may besynthetic as will be evident. Mounting of a watch in such material hasbeen found to be difficult and to require complex mounting means.According to the instant invention, however, we have provided means formounting such a watch to the material without necessitating any change.in the watch itself, as by the addition of mounting means thereto. Onthe contrary, we employ provided which embraces the mounting material 7Claims. (Cl. 5888) Watch cases generally comprise a base or body memberI5 which houses the watch-works including a winding crown and stem, anda frame I6 which fits over the body member and frames a lens against thedial as will be well understood. Engagement between the frame and thecase body member is conventionally effected by means of complementarysnap projections, the frame snap projection I'I engaging a complementarybody member snap projection I8. Two pairs of such snap projections aregenerally provided, being oppositely disposed on the body member andframe.

We have taken advantage of these snap projections for eifecting anengagement between the watch and the mounting member ID. This isaccomplished by removing the frame'I 6 from the watch as by prying ittherefrom as is conventional, tilting it as illustrated in Fig. 3,applying one snap projection in the bottom of the groove 13 through oneside of opening l2, and pushing the other snap projection through thebase of the smaller opening I I until itis in radial alignment withgroove I3. It will be understood therefore that the bottom of opening IIby merging into opening I2 interrupts the continuity of open ing I2 soas to provide an entrance for the frame and permits the ensemble to besuspended as from articles of apparel.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionand drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a watch mounted pursuant to thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the lines 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the lines 33 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view illustrating the initial application ofthe watch to the mounting member prior to engagement thereof.

The mounting member I0 may comprise a natural semi-precious or syntheticstone or the like which may assume or be ground to any desired externalconfiguration. It is then bored transversely so as to be provided with acentral opening formed from two interconnected open ings, i. e. asmaller opening I I and a larger, circular opening I2. The larger,circular opening I2 is formed with a groove I3 throughout its peripheralor defining wall I 4. The openings II and I 2 merge into each other asillustrated so that the circular continuity of opening I2 is interruptedat its top as is the groove I3. This provides an entrance for anengaging member on. the watch case, as will be hereinafter described.

snap projection into the groove I3. The frame I6 may then be rotateddegrees so that the projections are disposed transversely of themounting member as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. At this time, the casebody member I5, including the works, and the crown I9 are pushed throughthe other side of the opening I2 until its snap projections I! areengaged by the projections I 8 of the frame. This completes theengagement of the watch with the mounting member simultaneously withre-assembly of the Watch and the combination will then appear asillustrated in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the diameter of thewatch case is approximately equal to that of the larger opening I2 sothat the projections in the groove secure the elements againstdisengagement. j

The smaller opening II renders the crown manually accessible so that thewatch may be wound without removing it from its mounting member. OpeningII further provides an initial site where the frame snap projection maybe introduced into the groove I 3.

Removal of the watch from its mounting is eifected to prying the bodymember I5, including the works, away from the frame I5 so as to removeit from the mounting member. The frame I5 is then rotated 90 degrees inorder to bring one of the snap projections i8 into registry with thediscontinuous portions of the openings or of the groove. The frame maythen be tilted outwardly since one snap projection is no longer retainedby the groove and the frame may thus be removed from opening l2.

A metal band 20 which may be of gold or any other desired metal embracesthe mounting member ID and may terminate in a loop 2i which permits theensemble to be suspended as when the article is used as a pendant watch.

After the watch has been installed or applied to the mounting member ashereinabove described, it cannot rotate to a position Where it can dropout and become lost because the crown of the works is restrained againstsuch action by the walls of opening H. Accordingly, the article can onlybe disassembled by removing the back or body member, including theworks, therefrom in the manner above set forth and then rotating theframe to release either one of the projections as described, or both ofthem, if the larger opening I2 is made further discontinuous in anoppositeor bottom portion thereof. This represents insurance againstaccidental loss, an advantage which is most important in these devicesand which is achieved herein, notwithstanding the marked simplicity ofassembly of the watch to the mounting member.

The mounting may be employed in many environments as in pendants,bracelets, brooches or any other form in which watches may be Worn.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a watch and mounting therefor comprising amounting member, said mounting member being formed with a circularopening therethrough and an arcuate groove formed in the wall of saidopening and concentric therewith, said watch including at least oneprojection formed externally thereof, said projection being disposed insaid groove so as to effect an engagement of said watch with saidmounting member, said projection being rotatable in said groove in apath concentric with said opening. I

2. The combination of a watch and mounting therefor comprising amounting member, said mounting member being formed with a circularopening therethrough and a groove formed in the wall of said opening,said watch including at least oneprojection formed externally thereof,said projection being disposed in said groove so as to effect anengagement of said watch with said mounting member, said grooveextending around the wall of said circular opening so as to beconcentric with said circular opening.

3. The combination of a watch including a watch case and mountingtherefor comprising a mounting member, said mounting member being formedwith a circular opening therethrough and a circular groove formed in thewall of said opening and concentric therewith, said watch case includinga pair of diametrically opposite externally formed projections, saidprojections being disposed in said groove and being engaged thereby soas to retain said Watch case within said circular opening, said watchcase comprising a body member and a frame held together by saidprojections.

4. The combination of a watch including a watch case and mountingtherefor, said combination comprising a mounting member, said mountingmember being formed with a circular opening therethrough and a circulargroove formed in the wall of said opening and concentric therewith, saidwatch case including a pair of diametrically opposite externally formedpro- J'ections, said projections being disposed in said roove and beingengaged thereby so as to retain said watch case within said circularopening, and a second opening merging into said circular opening, saidsecond opening providing an entrance for one of said projections intosaid groove.

5. The combination according to claim 4 and wherein said mounting membercomprises a stone, and a metal band embracing said stone, said metalband being formed with an upwardly disposed loop for suspending themounting member.

6. The combination of a watch having a case and a winding crown, and amounting for said watch, said combination comprising a mountin member,said mounting member being formed with a circular opening therethroughand a peripheral groove formed in the wall of said opening andconcentric therewith, said watch case including a pair of oppositelydisposed projections formed externally thereof, said projections beingdisposed in said groove so as to efiect an engagement of said watch withsaid mounting member, and a, second opening formed above said circularopening and, merging therewith, said watch case having an outsidediameter approximately equal to the diameter of said circular openingwhereby one of said projections may be initially placed in said smalleropening preparatory to entrance into said groove for effecting saidengagement, said smaller opening being adapted to surround said crown ofsaid watch.

'7. A new article of manufacture comprising a mounting member for awatch, said mounting member being formed with a circular openingtherethrough and a peripheral groove formed in the wall of said openingand concentric therewith, a second opening disposed laterally of saidcircular opening and merging therein so as to interrupt the circularcontinuity thereof and of the groove.

HOWARD CANE. DANIEL M. KNOWLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

